The 1971 New York Giants season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League (NFL).[1] The Giants had a 4–10 record for the season and finished in last place in the National Football Conference East Division.[2]
| 1971 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Wellington Mara |
| Head coach | Alex Webster |
| Home field | Yankee Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–10 |
| Division place | 5th NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
The Giants selected Rocky Thompson in the 1971 NFL Draft, with the 18th overall pick.[3] After a winless preseason, New York began the regular season with a 2–1 record before posting a 2–9 mark in its final eleven games. The team was affected by numerous injuries, including a thigh injury suffered by running back Ron Johnson, who had gained more than 1,000 rushing yards in 1970. The 1971 season was the last for quarterback Fran Tarkenton with the Giants; after he requested a trade, the Giants dealt him to the Minnesota Vikings in 1972 for three players and a pair of draft picks.[4]
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists {{{reserve_lists}}}
| ||||||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 19 | at Green Bay Packers | W 42–40 | 1–0 | 56,263 |
| 2 | September 26 | Washington Redskins | L 3–30 | 1–1 | 62,795 |
| 3 | October 3 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 21–20 | 2–1 | 49,571 |
| 4 | October 11 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 13–20 | 2–2 | 68,378 |
| 5 | October 17 | Baltimore Colts | L 7–31 | 2–3 | 62,860 |
| 6 | October 24 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 7–23 | 2–4 | 65,358 |
| 7 | October 31 | Minnesota Vikings | L 10–17 | 2–5 | 62,829 |
| 8 | November 7 | San Diego Chargers | W 35–17 | 3–5 | 62,905 |
| 9 | November 14 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 21–17 | 4–5 | 58,850 |
| 10 | November 21 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 13–17 | 4–6 | 50,008 |
| 11 | November 28 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 7–24 | 4–7 | 62,878 |
| 12 | December 5 | at Washington Redskins | L 7–23 | 4–8 | 53,401 |
| 13 | December 12 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–42 | 4–9 | 62,815 |
| 14 | December 19 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 28–41 | 4–10 | 62,774 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 7–1 | 8–3 | 406 | 222 | W7 |
| Washington Redskins | 9 | 4 | 1 | .692 | 6–1–1 | 8–2–1 | 276 | 190 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 7 | 1 | .462 | 4–3–1 | 5–5–1 | 221 | 302 | W3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 1–7 | 2–8–1 | 231 | 279 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 1–7 | 3–8 | 228 | 362 | L5 |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.